Tanzania is a popular vacation destination in East Africa known for its stunning wildlife and natural landscapes.
“Miss, I’m sorry, you can’t go to your room. There are elephants blocking your tent.” My guide’s voice was firm as he redirected me down a gravel pathway and I stared, awestruck, while a herd of lumbering, seven-ton beasts meandered through our camp, grazing. A calf zigzagged through the maze of its mother’s legs as an elderly bull with enormous tusks feasted on a branch a mere hundred feet from where I stood. Palms clammy and pulse elevated, I took a deep breath and did the only sensible thing I could think of: grab a beer from the dining hall and watch.
It was only my second night in Tanzania, the east African country famed for its national parks and wildlife, and my mind was already spinning with the lightheadedness that only comes from new experiences. I didn’t know it yet, but these tell-tale symptoms of awe–gripped heart, lifted stomach, and a smile as wide as the sky, would soon become the norm as I ventured deeper into the country’s wilderness.
Emily With Elephant in Tarangire National Park (Photo by Emily Pennington)
Situated just south of Kenya, on the western edge of the Indian…
